Last night when Downtown Abbey's Michelle Dockery stepped onto the red-carpet at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards, we knew we had to reserve a spot for her on our best-dressed list. Since her fashion-forward Alexandre Vauthier look at the Golden Globes, she shook things up a bit, and went for a sleek and timless vintage Chado Ralph Rucci Gown. We caught up with her stylist, Micaela Erlanger, to find out what it takes to pull together the ultimate red-carpet look.

Harper's BAZAAR: How did you meet Michelle Dockery and start working together?

Micaela Erlanger: I was recommended to work with her through a colleague. Before I met with her team, I researched her, went through all her past red-carpet looks to see what she's worn, what styles suit her, her color choices.We met shortly before Golden Globes and started working together on a few party looks for all the pre-Globes events.

HB: We saw her at the Globes in a more fashion forward look, and last night she went for vintage. Can you tell us about her evolving style?

ME: Michelle really loves fashion and wants to have fun with it. She can carry any kind of look. So, we had a great time trying on different dresses.It was amazing to have her wear couture from an emerging French designer, to then having her wear this stunning vintage gown, but for both events she maintained a classic glamour.

HB: What is your process for finding the perfect dress?

ME: So many emails! It's a combination of reaching out to design houses you have relationships with, lookbook research, going through custom sketches, and digging through archives.Sometimes there are amazing things that don't go down the runway. Also, I regularly check vintage stores, I love working with Rare Vintage where I found the vintage Chado Ralph Rucci.

HB: What were your first thoughts when you saw the dress?

ME: I hadbeen emailing with the owner of Rare Vintage before the Golden Globes, and she sent me photos of a few options including the Chado Ralph Rucci.Unfortunately, the dress didn't make it to L.A. in time.When it came time to looking for a gown for the SAG awards, I remembered it.I had a really great feeling about it — it's so exciting when you stumble upon a really special dress.

HB: For the Golden Globes she went for the up and coming designer Alexandre Vauthier, how did you decide to go for vintage?

ME: We always want to pay homage to Downtown Abbey. The show has such a huge following, and so many people love her character. We loved the idea of putting her in this glamourous vintage dress. We wouldn't put her in a dress that has a similar silhouette or style to what she wears on the show, so it's really a balance.

HB: How did you finally decide on the dress?

ME: We loved so many different dresses, so there is a narrowing down process, and a completely collaborative effort between Michelle and I, as well as her hair and makeup team.I would say there were five contenders. Everything looks so good on her, so it's hard. A lot of thought goes into this based on the nature of the event, the vibe, what mood are we in. We want to paint a picture before we decide on a final look.

HB:How does the hair, makeup and accessories all come together?

ME: Her makeup artist Jordan Long and hairstylist Mara Roszak are geniuses. Once we knew the dress, we had some ideas for her beauty look, a bit of 90s inspiration.Everything came down to the day of though. Mara and Jordan had their ideas collected and Michelle has such a clear vision.They knew she wanted a side part, smoky eye and a bold lip.So it's a matter of fine tuning, trying on different lip colors, etc. For accessories, I wanted to keep them sleek.The gown was very architectural and so her clutch had a similar feeling. The serpent detailing on the clutch also matched her bracelets. It all came together and suited the gown perfectly — it's all about the little details.

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